Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F , Case X, Shelf 285, Box F

Photograph

ca. 1855 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Prussian baron Alexander von Minutoli (1806-87) often sent his model collection to schools of the applied arts. The objects, however, suffered from this treatment. Thus he commissioned photographic reproductions to circulate instead. The first trial with Daguerreotypes failed, because these were relatively fragile and also suffered from frequent moving. (Daguerrotype was the first commercially available form of photography, introduced in 1839. Each photograph was a one-off, appearing on a silvered copper plate.) In 1853 Minutoli engaged Ludwig Belitski to make a photographic reproduction on paper. Belitski was a photographer from Liegnitz in Silesia (now Legnica, Poland). He earned international fame from Minutoli’s large commission (seven folio-sized volumes with 663 plates) and won awards in Brussels and Amsterdam in 1855 and 1856. The Venetian glass here was photographed in bright sunlight.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Salted paper print
Brief description
Photograph of 15th and 16th Century Venetian vases and glasses by Ludwig Belitski, a salted paper print, made in Germany ca.1855.
Physical description
Salted paper print depicting fifteen 15th and 16th Century Venetian-style vases and glasses displayed on three shelves.
Dimensions
  • Height: 228mm
  • Image width: 182mm
  • Card height: 331mm
  • Card width: 267mm
Production typeUnlimited edition
Marks and inscriptions
Vases, etc, glass. Italian (Venetian), XV & XVI centuries / Institut Minutoli, Liegnitz. (Inscrined bottom left.)
Credit line
Given by The Prince Consort
Historical context
In 1855 Prince Albert donated Models for Craftsmen,photographed by Ludwig Belitski, published by the Minutolische Institut, Liegnits, Silesia
Production
Reason For Production: Retail
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
The Prussian baron Alexander von Minutoli (1806-87) often sent his model collection to schools of the applied arts. The objects, however, suffered from this treatment. Thus he commissioned photographic reproductions to circulate instead. The first trial with Daguerreotypes failed, because these were relatively fragile and also suffered from frequent moving. (Daguerrotype was the first commercially available form of photography, introduced in 1839. Each photograph was a one-off, appearing on a silvered copper plate.) In 1853 Minutoli engaged Ludwig Belitski to make a photographic reproduction on paper. Belitski was a photographer from Liegnitz in Silesia (now Legnica, Poland). He earned international fame from Minutoli’s large commission (seven folio-sized volumes with 663 plates) and won awards in Brussels and Amsterdam in 1855 and 1856. The Venetian glass here was photographed in bright sunlight.
Bibliographic reference
Julius Bryant, ed. Art and Design for All. The Victoria and Albert Museum London: V&A Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 9781851776665.
Collection
Accession number
36077

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 6, 2002
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest